The present invention relates to a binder having a pair of covers, a spine interconnecting the covers and a sheet retaining assembly for holding a plurality of sheets between the covers, and more particularly to a binder whose spine is flexible and capable of being routed around a sheet retaining assembly to provide a convenient grip for users and to permit the covers to lie parallel to each other irrespective of the number of sheets retained within the binder.
FIG. 10 illustrates a typical prior art binder 90 wherein front and rear covers 96 and 94 are interconnected by a spine 98. A pair of hinge lines 91 and 93 join the spine 98 to the covers 94 and 96, respectively. A snap ring assembly 92 is riveted or otherwise fastened directly to the rear cover 94. The spine panel 98 is free to pivot away from the snap ring assembly 92 in the direction indicated by the arrow 97 to provide convenient access to the assembly 92. The width of the spine 98 is great enough to enable the covers 96 and 94 to clear the snap rings. This type of binder is particularly well-suited to uses requiring oversized snap rings for maintaining a great number of loose-leaf sheets. Such a binder, however, requires excessive shelf space, and it it difficult to grasp at the wide, flat and pivotable spine 98.
It is therefore seen that there is a need to provide an improved binder. Such a binder should reduce shelf space requirements, and fit in users' hands when gripped at the spine.